The Winslow trainer, while excited about the five-year-old’s progression, isn’t getting too carried away with his stayer’s first-up win in the $75,000 Keith Jackson and Colin Johnston Handicap (1410 metres), which capped a successful day for Maher in two states.

While Maher was celebrating Moudre’s win at Flemington, his girlfriend Bianca Gilcrist was in Adelaide looking after Man of Class which won the $50,000 Grand National Hurdle (3500m) at Morphettville.

Maher, who rates Moudre highly, had the gelding entered in the Caulfield and Melbourne cups and the Cox Plate.

But he has stressed Moudre would have to win several races in coming weeks to earn a start in the lucrative features.

“I’m always trying to put a bit of a lid on them,’’ Maher said.

“There is not a lot of spring horses racing at the moment.

“The rest of them (he beat) are winter-form horses coming to the end of their preparation.

“They can easy get a bit carried away but in saying that, he is a nice, progressive, exciting horses.

“How far he goes, we don’t know.”

Maher said Moudre’s next target was the $100,000 listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) at Caulfield on August 28.

“He’s come back really well, he just has to keep taking that step. If he keeps stepping up, who knows where we will end up.”

Jockey Craig Williams shook his head in disbelief crossing the line at Moudre’s acceleration and ease of the victory.

Maher enjoyed a bitter-sweet day, with Man of Class winning the hurdle in Adelaide but stablemate July, while leading the $50,000 South Australian Grand National Steeplechase (3500m), stumbled on landing after the second-last jump and fell. Both horse and rider were uninjured.

Maher said Man of Class was likely to head to either the Jim Houlahan or Grand National hurdles at Sandown later this month after his second win in three starts over jumps on Saturday.

He said he would wait and see how July pulled up after the fall before deciding whether he took him to Sandown.

Maher said he was unlikely to run him on heavy tracks and thought the Houlahan hurdle could suit.

He said it was the second time in a year he had enjoyed success in two states on the same day.

“It was really good,” he said.

“You put the plans down and hope it comes off.

“It was almost perfect. We had one mishap but the horse is all right.”